JPH1091576A - Multimedia system with multimedia bus - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Problem] To provide an analog bus and receive an analog audio / video signal from an external station without using a separate external connection cable, and to easily expand the external station. Provide multimedia player system with input / output mechanism. The control center and a first connector attached to each station; the control center and a second connector attached to each station;
A first bus ABUS composed of a plurality of signal lines connected to the control center and the analog signal input / output means of each station in correspondence with the pins of the connector 110,
Corresponding to the pins of the connector 100, the system bus of the control center and the digital signal input / output of each station.
And a second bus DBUS composed of a plurality of signal lines connected to the output means.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION With the development of microprocessor areas and functions, personal computer systems are being developed into multimedia environments capable of handling various forms of information, such as text, sound, graphics, animations, and movies. It has changed to correspond.

[0002] Such a computer is hereinafter referred to as a multimedia computer. In order to provide a multimedia function, a high-performance video card, sound card,
Hardware devices such as TV / radio cards, modems, etc. are installed in expansion slots on the computer main board. Also, peripheral devices such as a CD ROM and various types of software drivers must be installed.

[0003] The multimedia data transmitted from the peripheral device or the expansion board is transmitted to a CPU through a local bus under the control of a computer operation system. Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) to increase the data transfer rate between CPU and peripheral devices
Standards have been created. The PCI bus provides two operating voltage systems while basically having a 64-bit data structure. It also has a function (Plug and Play function) for automatically detecting the connected device and automatically setting up.

[0004]

FIG. 1 shows a conventional PCI bus connector and a P bus.
4 shows a pin configuration of a CI slot. Connector 100
Has a plurality of connector pins arranged in two rows. Each row is distinguished by A and B while having 94 pins. Pin numbers 1 to 62 of each row are used for 32-bit data, and 63 to 94 are used for 64-bit data. The pins located in the first column of the two rows are A1, B, respectively.
1 is displayed, and the pins in the last row are displayed as A94 and B94, respectively. Each pin is connected to a signal line set by the PCI standard. As an example, Table 1 shows the pinout of a PCI standard using an operating voltage of 5V.

[0005]

[Table 1]

In Table 1, the signals to the 32-bit data PCI path are as follows. CLK (Clock): A signal line for igniting a clock signal for operating the PCI device. RST #: a signal line for resetting a controller connected to the PCI bus. AD31 to AD00: data signals and address lines using the multiplex transmission signal system. FRAME #: A high logic value of the line signal indicates a data signal, and a low logic value indicates an address. C / BE0 # to C / BE3 #: command operated in multiplex mode or valid byte signal line.
At this time, the command is related to the address, and the valid byte is related to the data signal. PAR (PARITY): Even parity for AD31 to AD00 signal lines and C / BE0 # to C / BE3 # signal lines. FRAME #: A signal line having a low logic value during data processing by accessing another device through the PCI bus. IRDY (Initiatory Ready): A signal line indicating the status of a disclosure device (Initiator) associated with data processing. TRDY # (Target Ready); Target device (Target
signal line indicating the status of the system. STOP #: stop signal line requested from the target device to the disclosure device. LOCK #; a signal line that appears when performing duplicate processing to complete an ongoing task. IDSEL (Initialization Device Select): A signal line required when selecting a chip to read / write a configuration register value in each peripheral device. DEVSEL # (Device Select): A signal line that goes to a low level when a peripheral device is selected as a target device as a result of decoding a signal of an address line. That is, a signal line on which a device connected to the PCI bus is selected when it is at a low level. REQ # (Request): a signal line for requesting use of the PCI bus when the master device intends to use the PCI bus. GNT # (Grant): A signal line that allows use of the PCI bus. PERR # (Parity Error): A signal line indicating occurrence of parity data error. SERR # (System Error): A signal line indicating occurrence of a significant error other than a parity error. INTA #, INTB #, INTC #, INTD #; interrupt signal lines. SBO #, SDONE # (Snoop Backoff, Snoop Don
e); signal line supporting the cache function of the device having the cache memory. TCK, TD1, TDO, TMS, TRST #; PCI
Signal lines for testing devices. PRSNT1, PRSNT2 (Present): Signal lines indicating that a PCI device is installed in a slot and consuming power. The signals for the 64-bit data PCI bus are as follows. AD63 to AD32: signal lines indicating the address / data of the upper 32 bits out of a total of 64 bits. C / BE4 to C / BE7: signal lines indicating comments and valid bytes for the upper 32 bits. REQ64 #; when a 64-bit data structure is required,
A signal line that goes low. ACK64 #: a signal line that recognizes the target device in response to the REQ64 # signal. PAR64: a signal line indicating an even parity state for the upper 32 bits.

[0007] The conventional PCI bus is configured to transmit digital data and addresses through signal lines AD00 to AD63. Also, a control signal line for controlling peripheral devices connected to the bus is provided. In addition, the multimedia computer system can use various audio / video devices other than the function expansion board, such as a digital satellite receiver, a video disk player, a C
An ATV receiver or the like can be installed. Accordingly, a need has arisen for a multimedia computer to receive graphics and sound data from an external audio / video source and process various data. Accordingly, an external connection cable for inputting an audio / video signal from an output terminal of an external audio / video source to a multimedia computer has been required. As the number of external audio / video sources increases, the number of external connection cables and connection terminals also increases. As a result, not only is the connection cable complicatedly entangled, but also when analog audio / video signals are transmitted through the connection cable, there are problems such as signal reduction and noise generation.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide an analog audio / video signal from an external station without using a separate external connection cable with an analog bus. It is an object of the present invention to provide a multimedia device which can receive an external station and can easily expand an external station.

[0009]

According to a feature of the invention proposed to achieve this object, a computer-based control center and a plurality of analog audio / video sources are provided. A multimedia player system having a station includes a first connector mounted above and below the control center and each of the stations, and a first connector connected to the control center and each of the stations. A second connector mounted at an upper portion and a lower portion so as to be adjacent to the first connector;
A first bus comprising a plurality of signal lines connecting a plurality of corresponding pins of the first connector to the control center and analog signal input / output means of each station; A second bus comprising a plurality of corresponding pins of a second connector and a plurality of signal lines coupled to a system bus of the control center and digital signal input / output means of each station. Features.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of pins of the first and second connectors are arranged in three rows, and each of the connectors is constituted by a pair of male and female connectors, which can be detached from each other. It is characterized by.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of pins of the first connector are arranged in two rows, and the first connector comprises a female connector mounted on a main board of the computer. Receiving a plurality of corresponding terminals of a function expansion board for generating audio / video signals.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the number of pins located in each row of the first connector is eighteen.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of signal lines of the first bus are video signal lines VS for vertical, horizontal and composite synchronization signals.
YNC, HSYNC, CSYNC, and a color image signal line VGA-RED, VGA- for supplying a divided color image signal to a VGA card of the computer.
GREEN, VGA-BLUE, composite video signal line VIDEO-IN, and control signal lines VS0, VS1, VS2 for selecting one of the video sources.
A signal line NTSC / PAL indicating whether the television signal transmitted through the VDIEO-IN line is in the NTSC mode or the PAL mode, a signal line AUDIO-IN-LEFT transmitting the left and right channel stereo audio source signals, AUDIO-I
N-RIGHT and a signal line AUDIO-O for transmitting left and right channel stereo audio output signals
UT-LEFT, AUDIO-OUT-RIGHT,
A signal line SCART-IN-LEFT for transmitting a stereo audio signal of an external audio / video source,
SCART-IN-RIGHT, ON / OFF control signal line DOBM for digital audio source, signal lines KB-CLK, KB-DATA for transmitting key clock signal and key input data, virtual key clock and virtual key input signal Signal lines VK each transmitting
B-CLK and VKB-DATA, signal lines MS-CLK and MS-DATA for transmitting a mouse clock signal and mouse output data, and signal lines VMS for transmitting a virtual mouse clock signal and virtual mouse output data, respectively. -CLK, VMS-DATA and a control signal line AS reserved for analog audio sources
0, AS1, AS2 and control signal lines DS0, DS1, DS reserved for digital audio sources.
2 and a signal line BV for transmitting the power level of the battery
L, BW, BL, a ground line GND for a specific source signal, a signal line EXT-KEY for disabling a video signal according to the conditions of an external device, and an external wake up signal to the computer operating in a power management mode. Signal line EXT-SM to be supplied
10, EXT-SM11; MPEG external color image signals EXT-RED, EXT-GREEN, EXT-B
LUE and a signal line DO indicating the docking station
CKIN, a signal line VGA DCLK for a VGA dot clock signal, and an audio signal line PC-SPE connected to a speaker terminal of the computer.
AKER and audio ground signal line AUD
And IOGND.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the control center has an input / output port for inputting / outputting analog / digital data from an external audio / video display device.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the analog signal input / output means converts the analog audio / video signal provided from one of the stations under the control of a central processing unit of the computer into the external audio signal. And / or selectively transmitting an analog signal requested by an external device to one of the stations via the first bus or to the video display device.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the digital signal input / output means controls the digital data to be transmitted from the plurality of stations to a system main bus through a second bus. .

FIG. 2 shows a pin configuration of a connector used in a multimedia player system according to an embodiment of the present invention. This connector is provided between an external audio / video source and a computer system and is designed to connect digital control signal lines and analog signal lines. The connector 110 has a plurality of connector pins arranged in three rows. Each row divided into A, B, and C has 18 pins. The pins in the first column of each row are indicated by A1, B1, and C1. The connector 11
0 is in the form of two males and females, and the two are fitted and removed in pairs.

FIG. 3 is a pin configuration diagram of a connector used in a computer system of a multimedia player according to another embodiment of the present invention. ISA and PCI
The slot is similar to a conventional connector, and the connector 120 also has connector pins arranged in a row along a wall inside the connector 120 at regular intervals. Rows A and B each have 27 pins and receive signals from terminals of cards and modes that generate audio / video signals. The connector 110 and the connector 120 are
Since the control signal line and the analog signal line between the computer system and the external audio / video source are connected, it can be called a "multimedia connector". And conventional ISA or PC
Compared with the I path, the control signal line and the analog signal line connected to the connector 110 or 120 can be called a “multimedia bus”. Hereinafter, the description will be made using the names “multimedia connector” and “multimedia bus”.

The structure of the multimedia bus corresponding to the multimedia connector 110 is as shown in Table 2.

[Table 2]

The signals of the multimedia bus described in Table 2 are described as follows. Vcc: drive voltage supply line (example 5V). + 12V; power supply line for external audio / video equipment. VSYNC, HSYNC, OSSYNC; vertical synchronizing signal, horizontal synchronizing signal, and composite synchronizing signal line of video signal, respectively. VGA-RED, VGA-GREEN, VGA-BLU
E; a signal line for supplying a color video signal separated into R, G, and B to a VGA card of a computer system. VIDEO-IN; a signal line for a composite video signal. VS0, VS1, VS2; control signal lines for selecting a video signal from a video source. NTSC / PAL; a signal line indicating whether the television signal applied through the VIDEO-IN line is in NTSC mode or PAL mode. AUDIO-IN-LEFT, AUDIO-IN-RI
GHT: lines for transmitting stereophonic audio input signals of the left and right channels, respectively. AUDIO-OUT-LEFT, AUDIO-OUT-
RIGHT: lines for transmitting stereophonic audio output signals of the left and right channels, respectively. SCART-IN-LEFT, SCART-IN-RI
GHT: A line for transmitting a stereophonic audio source signal from an external audio / video source. DOBM; ON / OFF of digital audio source
Control signal line. KB-CLK, KB-DATA; signal lines for transmitting a keyboard clock signal and a key input signal, respectively. VKB-CLK, VKB-DATA; signal lines for transmitting a virtual keyboard clock signal and a virtual key input signal, respectively. MS-CLK, MS-DATA; signal lines for transmitting a mouse clock signal and a mouse output signal, respectively. VMS-CLK, VMS-DATA; signal lines for transmitting a virtual mouse clock signal and a virtual mouse output signal, respectively. AS0, AS1, AS2; lines reserved for control signals for analog audio sources. DS0, DS1, DS2; lines reserved for control signals for digital audio sources. BVL, BW, BL; signal lines for transmitting the power level of the battery. GND (Ground): A ground line for a specific source signal. EXT-KEY: A signal line for releasing a video signal according to an external device state. EXT-RED, EXT-GREEN, EXT-BLU
E: external color video signal in MPEG format. DOKIN: a signal line indicating that the docking station is installed. VGA-DCLK; VGA dot clock signal. PC-SPEAKER; Output signal line from the speaker line of the computer. AUDIO GND; audio ground line.

Referring to FIG. 4, a multimedia computer according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a multimedia connector 120A, 120B, 120C and a PCI connector 1.
00A, 100B, 100C are provided. The multimedia connectors 120A, 120B, and 120C have a configuration as shown in FIG. 3, and are connected to the computer main board 190 through the multimedia bus 140. Reference numeral 130 denotes a PCI bus, which connects the PCI connector and the slots 100A, 100B, and 100C to the main board 190 of the computer.

FIG. 5 illustrates a multimedia player system having a PCI bus and a multimedia bus according to another embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 5, the multimedia player system includes a computer-based main control center 240 and a plurality of analog audio / video source stations 25 extended and connected via a multimedia bus.
0, 260, and 270. The main control center 240 includes a computer main mode mounted on the riser card, a CD-ROM driver,
D module (not shown) and the like. Monitor display 210, speaker systems 220 and 23
0, an audio amplifier 280 and a telephone 290 connected to the modem are connected to the main control center 240. In addition, the main control center 240
Include computer hard disk drives and floppy disk drives.

The stations 250, 260, 270
That is, external audio / video sources such as digital satellite receivers, video disc players, and CATV receivers. The main control center 240
The plurality of stations 250 to 270 basically include the multimedia connector 110 and the PCI connector 100 according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 6, the multimedia connector 110 and the PCI connector 100 are connected to the main circuit board 320 by a multimedia bus ABUS and a PCI bus DBUS bus, respectively. Also, as shown in FIG. 7, the multimedia connector 110 and the PCI connector 100 are connected to the lower portion behind the main control center 240 and the stations 250 to 250.
It is mounted on the upper and lower part behind 270, connected to the corresponding connectors, and connected to the connector of the main control center 240. Each multimedia connector 110
Is composed of a pair of male and female connectors 110A and 110B, and the PCI connector 100 is also a pair of male and female connectors 110A and 110B.
E, 110F.

In the configuration described above, the female connectors 110B and 100F of the station 250 are connected to the male connectors 110A and 100E of the main control center 240, respectively. In this way, the stations 250 to 270 are connected to the main control center 240 while being connected in series, so that the stations can be easily expanded.

Once the main controller center 240 and the extendable stations 250 and 260 are connected in series through the multimedia connector and the PCI connector, the multimedia bus and the PCI bus of each station 250 and 260 are connected as shown in FIG. Be linked. That is, multimedia buses ABUS2, ABUS3 and PC
The I buses DBUS2 and DBUS3 are the multimedia buses ABUS1 and PC1 of the main controller center 240.
Connected to bus DBUS1. So, the main control center 240 and the expandable station 250,
260 is connected in a cambodian form by a multimedia connector and a PCI connector, and internally connected by a multimedia bus and a PCI bus.

FIG. 9 shows an interface circuit for connecting a main control center and an external station according to the present invention. Referring to FIG. 9, a multimedia connector 110A and a multimedia bus ABUS are provided.
1 is connected to the analog signal input / output controller 480, and the PCI connector 100E is connected to the PCI bus DBUS.
1 is connected to the system main bus. A CPU 410 is provided to control the transmission of data and addresses and the overall operation of the multimedia player system.
In addition, the main control center 240 includes an external signal input / output port 470 for inputting and outputting analog or digital data to a display device such as a video monitor or a speaker system. The analog signal input / output controller 480 selectively outputs audio / video signals transmitted from one of the external stations to the CPU 4.
The control signal is transmitted to an external device through the input / output port 470 according to the control signal provided from the control signal 70. Also, an analog signal from an external device is transmitted to the multimedia bus A
It is transmitted to one of the stations through BUS1.
Then, the digital signal input / output controller 490 transmits the digital data from the station to the PCI bus BUS.
1 so that it is selectively transmitted to the system main bus.

As described above, the present invention newly defines a bus structure that can be applied to a multimedia computer environment. By using the multimedia bus and the connector according to the present invention, the multimedia computer system can be connected to the external audio / video source in a component form, and the number of the external audio / video sources can be easily expanded. . Analog audio / video signals that cannot be transmitted over the digital PCI bus can be transmitted across the multimedia component system over the multimedia bus. Moreover, according to the present invention, a desired external audio / video source can be selected by a control signal of a computer system. A multimedia player system according to the teachings of the present invention is provided for an integrated control system, and maximizes the flexibility of a system for generating an audio / video signal.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, it should be understood that the present invention includes modifications that fall within the scope and spirit of the invention.

[0029]

According to the present invention, a multimedia computer system can be combined with a plurality of external audio / video sources in the form of components and selectively reproduced by using the bus strutter and the connector of the present invention. It can be easily expanded according to the gender. An analog audio / video signal can then be transmitted across the component system over a multimedia bus.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 shows a prior art PC used in a personal computer system.
FIG. 3 is a pin configuration diagram of an I slot.

FIG. 2 is a pin configuration diagram of a connector used in the multimedia player system according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a pin configuration diagram of a connector used in the multimedia player system according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram showing a PCI connector and a multimedia connector connected to a PCI bus and a multimedia bus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of a multimedia player system using a PCI bus and a multimedia bus according to another embodiment of the present invention.

6 is a schematic diagram showing a PCI connector and a multimedia connector connected to a main circuit of the external audio / video station shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the arrangement of multimedia connectors and PCI bus connectors provided to each station and the main control system shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a configuration in which a main controller center and two audio / video stations are combined, and an interconnection between a multimedia bus and a PCI bus across the multimedia player shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 9 shows a multimedia connector and PCI according to the present invention.
The block diagram showing the interface part of the main control center connected to the connector.

[Explanation of symbols]

ABUS Analog bus DBUS Digital bus 100 PCI connector 110 Multimedia connector (analog connector) 240 Main system 240 External station 470 External signal input / output port 480 Analog signal input / output controller 490 Digital signal input / output controller

Claims (8)

[Claims] A computer-based control center (cont
ol center) and a multimedia player system (mu) having a plurality of stations for analog audio / video sources.
lti media player system, a first connector mounted above and below the control center and each station, and adjacent to the first connector above and below the control center and each station. And a plurality of signal lines connecting a plurality of corresponding pins of the first connector to the control center and analog signal input / output means of each station. A first bus, and a plurality of corresponding pins of the second connector are constituted by a plurality of signal lines connected to a system bus of the control center and digital signal input / output means of each station. And a second bus to be performed. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of pins of the first and second connectors are arranged in three rows, and each of the connectors comprises a pair of male and female connectors, which are detachable from each other. The multimedia player system according to claim 1, wherein 3. The plurality of pins of the first connector are arranged in two rows, and the first connector comprises a female connector mounted on a main board of the computer to generate an audio / video signal. The multimedia player system according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of corresponding terminals of the function expansion board are received. 4. The multimedia player system according to claim 2, wherein the number of pins located in each row of the first connector is eighteen. 5. The video signal lines for vertical, horizontal and composite synchronization signals VSYNC, HSYNC, CSYNC, and the color image divided on the VGA card of the computer. A color image signal line VGA- for supplying a signal
RED, VGA-GREEN, VGA-BLUE, composite video signal line VIDEO-IN, and control signal line VS for selecting one of the video sources
0, VS1, VS2; a signal line NTSC / PAL indicating that the television signal transmitted through the VDIEO-IN line is in NTSC mode or PAL mode.
Signal lines AUDIO-IN-LEFT, A for transmitting left and right channel stereo audio source signals;
AUDIO-IN-RIGHT, and a signal line AUDIO-OUT-LEFT, A for transmitting left and right channel stereo audio output signals.
UDIO-OUT-RIGHT, a signal line SCART-IN-LEFT for transmitting a stereo audio signal of an external audio / video source,
SCART-IN-RIGHT, digital audio source on / off control signal line DOBM, signal lines KB-CLK and KB-DATA for transmitting key clock signal and key input data, respectively, virtual key clock and virtual key input signal , And signal lines VKB-CLK and VKB-DATA, respectively, and signal lines MS-CLK and MS-DATA for transmitting a mouse clock signal and mouse output data, respectively.
And signal lines VMS-CLK and VMS-DAT for transmitting a virtual mouse clock signal and virtual mouse output data, respectively.
A, control signal lines AS0, AS1, AS2 reserved for analog audio sources, control signal lines DS0, DS1, DS2 reserved for digital audio sources, and a signal line BVL for transmitting the power level of the battery, B
W, BL, a ground line GND for a specific source signal, a signal line EXT-KEY for disabling a video signal according to the condition of an external device, and an external wake-up signal to the computer operating in a power management mode. Signal line EXT
-SM10, EXT-SM11, and MPEG external color image signals EXT-RED, EXT
-GREEN, EXT-BLUE, and a signal line DOCKIN indicating a docking station
And a signal line VGA for a VGA dot clock signal
DCLK, an audio signal line PC-SPEAKER connected to the speaker terminal of the computer, and an audio ground signal line AUDIO GND
3. The multimedia player system according to claim 1, further comprising: 6. The control center includes an external audio /
2. The multimedia player system according to claim 1, further comprising an input / output port for inputting / outputting analog / digital data from / to a video display device. 7. The analog signal input / output means selectively transmits the analog audio / video signal provided from one of the stations to the external audio / video display device under the control of a central processing unit of the computer. 7. The multimedia player system according to claim 6, wherein an analog signal requested by an external device is transmitted to one of the stations via the first bus. 8. The digital signal input / output means outputs the digital data from the plurality of stations.
7. The multimedia player system according to claim 6, wherein the multimedia player system is controlled to be transmitted to the system main bus through the bus.